County board OKs repairs to civic center

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

The aging Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers will undergo some immediate repairs while Lee County decides the long-term fate of the facility

Although the Lee County Board of County Commissioners voted on April 4 to make immediate health and safety repairs to the center's buildings, they asked staff to prepare an agenda item for their next meeting to further the discussion of the county-owned property on Bayshore Road.

“There are so many scenarios and it's hard to make a motion on the fly,” commission Chair Brian Hamman said after a l e n g t h y c o n v e r s a t i o n a n d m u l t i p l e motions made “I would definitely support a motion to direct staff and make comments and prepare a motion to come back to our next meeting ”

The motion that passed unanimously c o n f i r m e d a u t h o r i z a t i o n f o r c o u n t y administrators to make life and safety repairs to the Lee Civic Center building, Tinsley Pavilion, Davidson House, and the horse, beef and swine barns, as well as t h e g r a n d p a v i l i o n T h e m o t i o n a l s o included that the 100th-year fair will take place there next year, and the 4-H program will remain solvent and in good shape

Assistant County Manager Marc Mora said the issues that need to be addressed include exit signs, evacuation lights, trip hazards, fire detection and suppression systems and code compliance, such as electrical The costs will come out of the existing county budget with a completion date of April 14, providing 4-H use of the buildings

The estimated priority one repairs for the center are $375,000 and will take six to eight months to complete Assistant County Manager Christine Brady said they want to prioritize Tinsley Pavilion and the Davidson House, then focus on the barns and the grand pavilion

“We will use staff in-house, and those funds needed we have been able to identify within our existing budget,” she said “The three barns and grand pavilion fall within county authority to use the existing budget to make those fixes The Civic center $375,000 does not fall under our authority to make those life safety (repairs) By fixing that it will make it open and available for use, not long-term fixes ”

Another aspect of the conversation dealt with the management agreement with the Fair Association, something that has been in place for 27 years The management agreement with the association, by its own terms, would expire at sunset on Sept 30 with no further action needed

“It costs us about $50,000 a month to maintain that property In that period of time that costs us about $16 2 million Yes, we all agree that the property could use some updating, particularly the Civic center, but imagine you have a 45-yearold building made of metal that sits in Florida sun all the time It cost us a lot of money to keep that building running We put an additional $4 million in various improvements out there all on county land,” Fair Association Secretary Tom Knafel said “We have done considerably more than what we are required to do ”

T h e a s s o c i a t i o n b u i l t t h e T i n s l e y Pavilion for $200,000, he said. It also put in a new horse arena for $150,000

“All we are really asking, we have tried to be good stewards of the property for a very long time A good partner does t h i n g s t h a t a r e n o t i n t h e a g r e e m e n t because it is the right thing to do and that is what has been done by the fair board for 27 years,” Knafel said

Brady said the next steps are decision points related to the center and the current agreement they have in place with the fair association's board.

“In good faith, I am trying to let the tenant have some ability to talk to us,” Commissioner Kevin Ruane said “When it sunsets Sept 30 we can do whatever we want to do There is no more agreement whatsoever We have complete autonomy What I am trying to achieve in good faith is to not have them feel abandoned The only thing we are contractually obli- gated to do is the fair ”

There was discussion of extending the sunset 12 more months for the association, which ultimately did not receive full support County Attorney Richard Wesch said extending the agreement until 2024 removes the singular ability of the county to direct and control the future physical improvements on the property.

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“If you extend the agreement, those types of repairs would be subject to negotiation with the Fair Association,” he said

Fair Board Director Randy Crone said it is the county’s facility, they just help manage it

“It sunsets on the 30th Even if you do a new agreement, it is still your building, you can fix it We want it fixed This is your property, your building, we are never going to tell you not to work on it This is about the community, what is good for the community,” he said

Commissioner Mike Greenwell said with an extended agreement would not allow the county to take the operation of the facility over

“The staff’s job is still to negotiate with the fair board to run the fair The facility will be taken back over by the county, so we can make repairs,” he said of the sunset date. “The life issues are not the only repairs that need to be made When the fair is there, all the bright lights take your attention away from what is wrong We should have the control of the facility to make sure it is safe for our community ”

County Manager Roger Desjarlais said this is not a new discussion, as it started a couple of years ago when the Lee Civic Center conversation was prompted by the late Commissioner Frank Mann

“It is old, worn out, 100 acres of incredibly valuable property,” he said, adding that they need to continue along the process of redevelopment in the notso-distant future

Desjarlais said Lee County has not invested in the property over time, which in retrospect they should have He said it is not a criticism of the Fair Association, as no one really contemplated the association and a business model that is unable to afford repairs and upgrades necessary

“It needs to be in the hands of local government with some way to manage it to redevelop property and replace and fix b u i l d i n g s t o c u r r e n t s t a n d a r d s , ” Desjarlais

Greenwell said the contract says the Fair Association is to maintain the facility in good condition

“It really wasn’t the county’s obligation to do it,” he said, adding that the association should return the facility back to the county in the condition they received it. “That obviously will not happen. It takes leadership to step up and say we can no longer allow a county facility to be the condition it is There is a real issue out there that has to be addressed addressing a building 40 to 45 years old ”

Greenwell said the center is in very poor condition and does not live up to the standards of a county facility

“I have been out there buying animals and supporting the community There is not enough seating out there for the buyers to even have a seat. We do a lot for the ballfields We do a lot for our youth in this county, but we have not done a lot for our 4-H program It’s an embarrassment for me to see that facility in the condition it is in,” he said “They deserve better than that Our community deserves better than that They deserve a state-of-the art facility It is time to stand up and do something better ”

Also, the county is currently accepting public input on the Lee Civic Center Residents are invited to participate in a survey to share ideas about the features and amenities important to a reimagined center

For the survey and more information, visit www leegov com/CivicCenter

Overnight/nighttime lane closures on causeway expected

As a part of the Florida Department of Transportation's emergency restoration of the Sanibel Causeway, crews continue work on McGregor Boulevard and the causeway from Port Comfort Road to Sanibel

The Causeway Islands surrounding the temporary roadway are an active work zone and are closed to public access The FDOT also reported the following:

∫ During the overnight/nighttime hours of 7 p m on April 24 to 6 a m on April 25, motorists should expect lane closures on the causeway for crews to survey the bridges

∫ Crews continue driving sheet pile around the Causeway Islands

∫ Crews continue earthwork on the Causeway Islands

∫ Bicyclists are encouraged to utilize another mode of transportation to travel the causeway

∫ Pedestrians are not permitted on the Sanibel Causeway

Many oversized vehicles are crossing the causeway to assist with recovery efforts on the islands The FDOT asks that motorists be patient as travel may be slower than usual and obey the posted speed limit of 20 mph Use caution and watch for workers and construction vehicles entering and leaving the road

For more information on the project, visit www swflroads com/SanibelCause way